Configuring anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominant anodes using particle size

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for configuring anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominant anodes using particle size may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode may include a current collector and an active material on the current collector. An expansion of the anode during operation may be configured by utilizing a predetermined particle size distribution of silicon particles in the active material. The expansion of the anode may be greater for smaller particle size distributions, which may range from 1 to 10 μm. The expansion of the anode may be smaller for a rougher surface active material, which may be configured by utilizing larger particle size distributions that may range from 5 to 25 μm. The expansion may be configured to be more anisotropic using more rigid materials for the current collector, where a more rigid current collector may comprise nickel and a less rigid current collector may comprise copper.

REFERENCE

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. Ser.No. 16/681,788, filed on Nov. 12, 2019, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

FIELD

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to energy generation andstorage. More specifically, certain embodiments of the disclosure relateto a method and system for configuring anisotropic expansion ofsilicon-dominant anodes using particle size.

BACKGROUND

Conventional approaches for battery anodes may be costly, cumbersome,and/or inefficient—e.g., they may be complex and/or time consuming toimplement, and may limit battery lifetime.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditionalapproaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, throughcomparison of such systems with some aspects of the present disclosureas set forth in the remainder of the present application with referenceto the drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A system and/or method for anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominantanodes, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with atleast one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the presentdisclosure, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof,will be more fully understood from the following description anddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a battery with anode expansion configured viasilicon particle size, in accordance with an example embodiment of thedisclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates anode expansion during lithiation, in accordance withan example embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 shows top and side views of a pouch cell, in accordance with anexample embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a process for reduced expansion in a siliconanode, in accordance with an example embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an alternative process for reduced expansionin a silicon anode, in accordance with an example embodiment of thedisclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates the change in particle size distribution with millingtime, in accordance with an example embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates anode expansion for various active material millingtimes in fabricating the anode, in accordance with an example embodimentof the disclosure.

FIG. 8 illustrates x- and y-direction expansion for cells with differentsilicon particle size distributions, in accordance with an exampleembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 9 illustrates z-direction expansion for cells with differentsilicon source material and particle size distributions in accordancewith an example embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a battery with anode expansion configured viasilicon particle size, in accordance with an example embodiment of thedisclosure. Referring to FIG. 1 , there is shown a battery 100comprising a separator 103 sandwiched between an anode 101 and a cathode105, with current collectors 107A and 107B. There is also shown a load109 coupled to the battery 100 illustrating instances when the battery100 is in discharge mode. In this disclosure, the term “battery” may beused to indicate a single electrochemical cell, a plurality ofelectrochemical cells formed into a module, and/or a plurality ofmodules formed into a pack.

The development of portable electronic devices and electrification oftransportation drive the need for high performance electrochemicalenergy storage. Small-scale (<100 Wh) to large-scale (>10 KWh) devicesprimarily use lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries over other rechargeablebattery chemistries due to their high-performance.

The anode 101 and cathode 105, along with the current collectors 107Aand 107B, may comprise the electrodes, which may comprise plates orfilms within, or containing, an electrolyte material, where the platesmay provide a physical barrier for containing the electrolyte as well asa conductive contact to external structures. In other embodiments, theanode/cathode plates are immersed in electrolyte while an outer casingprovides electrolyte containment. The anode 101 and cathode areelectrically coupled to the current collectors 107A and 1078, whichcomprise metal or other conductive material for providing electricalcontact to the electrodes as well as physical support for the activematerial in forming electrodes.

The configuration shown in FIG. 1 illustrates the battery 100 indischarge mode, whereas in a charging configuration, the load 107 may bereplaced with a charger to reverse the process. In one class ofbatteries, the separator 103 is generally a film material, made of anelectrically insulating polymer, for example, that prevents electronsfrom flowing from anode 101 to cathode 105, or vice versa, while beingporous enough to allow ions to pass through the separator 103.Typically, the separator 103, cathode 105, and anode 101 materials areindividually formed into sheets, films, or active material coated foils.Sheets of the cathode, separator and anode are subsequently stacked orrolled with the separator 103 separating the cathode 105 and anode 101to form the battery 100. In some embodiments, the separator 103 is asheet and generally utilizes winding methods and stacking in itsmanufacture. In these methods, the anodes, cathodes, and currentcollectors (e.g., electrodes) may comprise films.

In an example scenario, the battery 100 may comprise a solid, liquid, orgel electrolyte. The separator 103 preferably does not dissolve intypical battery electrolytes such as compositions that may comprise:Ethylene Carbonate (EC), Fluoroethylene Carbonate (FEC), PropyleneCarbonate (PC), Dimethyl Carbonate (DMC), Ethyl Methyl Carbonate (EMC),Diethyl Carbonate (DEC), etc. with dissolved LiBF₄, LiAsF₆, Li PF₆, andLiClO₄ etc. The separator 103 may be wet or soaked with a liquid or gelelectrolyte. In addition, in an example embodiment, the separator 103does not melt below about 100 to 120° C., and exhibits sufficientmechanical properties for battery applications. A battery, in operation,can experience expansion and contraction of the anode and/or thecathode. In an example embodiment, the separator 103 can expand andcontract by at least about 5 to 10% without failing, and may also beflexible.

The separator 103 may be sufficiently porous so that ions can passthrough the separator once wet with, for example, a liquid or gelelectrolyte. Alternatively (or additionally), the separator may absorbthe electrolyte through a gelling or other process even withoutsignificant porosity. The porosity of the separator 103 is alsogenerally not too porous to allow the anode 101 and cathode 105 totransfer electrons through the separator 103.

The anode 101 and cathode 105 comprise electrodes for the battery 100,providing electrical connections to the device for transfer ofelectrical charge in charge and discharge states. The anode 101 maycomprise silicon, carbon, or combinations of these materials, forexample. Typical anode electrodes comprise a carbon material thatincludes a current collector such as a copper sheet. Carbon is oftenused because it has excellent electrochemical properties and is alsoelectrically conductive. Anode electrodes currently used in rechargeablelithium-ion cells typically have a specific capacity of approximately200 milliamp hours per gram. Graphite, the active material used in mostlithium ion battery anodes, has a theoretical energy density of 372milliamp hours per gram (mAh/g). In comparison, silicon has a hightheoretical capacity of 4200 mAh/g. In order to increase volumetric andgravimetric energy density of lithium-ion batteries, silicon may be usedas the active material for the cathode or anode. Silicon anodes may beformed from silicon composites, with more than 50% silicon, for example.

In an example scenario, the anode 101 and cathode 105 store the ion usedfor separation of charge, such as lithium. In this example, theelectrolyte carries positively charged lithium ions from the anode 101to the cathode 105 in discharge mode, as shown in FIG. 1 for example,and vice versa through the separator 105 in charge mode. The movement ofthe lithium ions creates free electrons in the anode 101 which creates acharge at the positive current collector 1078. The electrical currentthen flows from the current collector through the load 109 to thenegative current collector 107A. The separator 103 blocks the flow ofelectrons inside the battery 100, allows the flow of lithium ions, andprevents direct contact between the electrodes.

While the battery 100 is discharging and providing an electric current,the anode 101 releases lithium ions to the cathode 105 via the separator103, generating a flow of electrons from one side to the other via thecoupled load 109. When the battery is being charged, the oppositehappens where lithium ions are released by the cathode 105 and receivedby the anode 101.

The materials selected for the anode 101 and cathode 105 are importantfor the reliability and energy density possible for the battery 100. Theenergy, power, cost, and safety of current Li-ion batteries need to beimproved in order to, for example, compete with internal combustionengine (ICE) technology and allow for the widespread adoption ofelectric vehicles (EVs). High energy density, high power density, andimproved safety of lithium-ion batteries are achieved with thedevelopment of high-capacity and high-voltage cathodes, high-capacityanodes and functionally non-flammable electrolytes with high voltagestability and interfacial compatibility with electrodes. In addition,materials with low toxicity are beneficial as battery materials toreduce process cost and promote consumer safety.

The performance of electrochemical electrodes, while dependent on manyfactors, is largely dependent on the robustness of electrical contactbetween electrode particles, as well as between the current collectorand the electrode particles. The electrical conductivity of siliconanode electrodes may be manipulated by incorporating conductiveadditives with different morphological properties. Carbon black(SuperP), vapor grown carbon fibers (VGCF), and a mixture of the twohave previously been incorporated separately into the anode electroderesulting in improved performance of the anode. The synergisticinteractions between the two carbon materials may facilitate electricalcontact throughout the large volume changes of the silicon anode duringcharge and discharge.

State-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries typically employ agraphite-dominant anode as an intercalation material for lithium.Silicon-dominant anodes, however, offer improvements compared tographite-dominant Li-ion batteries. Silicon exhibits both highergravimetric (3579 mAh/g vs. 372 mAh/g for graphite) and volumetriccapacities (2194 mAh/L vs. 890 mAh/L for graphite). In addition,silicon-based anodes have a lithiation/delithiation voltage plateau atabout 0.3-0.4V vs. Li/Li+, which allows it to maintain an open circuitpotential that avoids undesirable Li plating and dendrite formation.While silicon shows excellent electrochemical activity, achieving astable cycle life for silicon-based anodes is challenging due tosilicon's large volume changes during lithiation and delithiation.Silicon regions may lose electrical contact from the anode as largevolume changes coupled with its low electrical conductivity separate thesilicon from surrounding materials in the anode.

In addition, the large silicon volume changes exacerbate solidelectrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, which can further lead toelectrical isolation and, thus, capacity loss. Expansion and shrinkageof silicon particles upon charge-discharge cycling causes pulverizationof silicon particles, which increases their specific surface area. Asthe silicon surface area changes and increases during cycling, SEIrepeatedly breaks apart and reforms. The SEI thus continually builds uparound the pulverizing silicon regions during cycling into a thickelectronic and ionic insulating layer. This accumulating SEI increasesthe impedance of the electrode and reduces the electrode electrochemicalreactivity, which is detrimental to cycle life.

A solution to the expansion of anodes is to configure the expansion thatoccurs with lithiation by configuring the size of the silicon particlesin the anode active material. Silicon particles with a particle sizedistribution in a certain range (e.g. 5 μm to 25 μm) form filmsexhibiting less expansion than films made from silicon particles in adifferent range (e.g. 1 μm to 10 μm). Anodes with less dense, or moreporous, active materials show reduced expansion, and lower density andmore porosity may result when using larger silicon particles.Furthermore, electrodes with rough surfaces have reduced expansion ascompared to electrodes with smooth surfaces, and use of larger siliconparticles may result in a rougher surface. The size of the particles maybe configured by the source material and/or the mixing process whenpreparing the slurry for anode formation.

FIG. 2 illustrates anode expansion during lithiation, in accordance withan example embodiment of the disclosure. Referring to FIG. 2 , there isshown a current collector 201, adhesive 203, and an active material 205.It should be noted that the adhesive 203 may or may not be presentdepending on the type of anode fabrication process utilized, as theadhesive is not necessarily present in a direct coating process.Furthermore, while FIG. 2 illustrates a single-sided anode forsimplicity, the active material 205 may be present on both sides of thecurrent collector 201. In an example scenario, the active materialscomprises silicon particles in a binder material and a solvent, theactive material being pyrolyzed to turn the binder into a glassy carbonthat provides a structural framework around the silicon particles andalso provides electrical conductivity. The active material may becoupled to the current collector 201 using the adhesive 203. The currentcollector 201 may comprise a metal film, such as copper, nickel, ortitanium, for example, although other conductive foils may be utilizeddepending on desired tensile strength.

FIG. 2 also illustrates lithium ions impinging upon and lithiating theactive material 205. The lithiation of silicon-dominant anodes causesexpansion of the material, where horizontal expansion is represented bythe x and y axes, and thickness expansion is represented by the z-axis,as shown. The current collector 201 has a thickness t, where a thickerfoil provides greater strength and providing the adhesive 203 is strongenough, restricts expansion in the x- and y-directions, resulting ingreater z-direction expansion, thus anisotropic expansion. Examplethicker foils may be greater than 10 μm thick, such as 20 μm for copper,for example, while thinner foils may be less than 10 μm, such as 5-6 μmthick or less for copper.

In another example scenario, when the current collector 201 is thinner,on the order of 5-6 μm or less for a copper foil, for example, theactive material 205 may expand more easily in the x- and y-directions,although still even more easily in the z-direction without otherrestrictions in that direction. In this case, the expansion isanisotropic, but not as much as compared to the case of higher x-yconfinement.

In addition, different materials with different tensile strength may beutilized to configure the amount of expansion allowed in the x- andy-directions. For example, nickel is a more rigid, mechanically strongmetal for the current collector 201, and as a result, nickel currentcollectors confine x-y expansion when a strong enough adhesive is used.In this case, the expansion in the x- and y-directions may be morelimited, even when compared to a thicker copper foil, and result in morez-direction expansion, i.e., more anisotropic. In anodes formed with 5μm nickel foil current collectors, very low expansion and no crackingresults. Furthermore, different alloys of metals may be utilized toobtain desired thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, andtensile strength, for example.

In an example scenario, in instances where adhesive is utilized, theadhesive 203 comprises a polymer such as polyimide (PI) orpolyamide-imide (PAI) that provides adhesive strength of the activematerial film 205 to the current collector 201 while still providingelectrical contact to the current collector 201. Other adhesives may beutilized depending on the desired chemistry, as long as they do notdegrade, react, or dissolve in the electrolyte used. If the adhesive 203provides a stronger, more rigid bond, the expansion in the x- andy-directions may be more restricted, assuming the current collector isalso strong. Conversely, a more flexible and/or thicker adhesive mayallow more x-y expansion, reducing the anisotropic nature of the anodeexpansion.

As stated above, particle size is a variable that affects expansion,where the particle size can influence the density of the material and/orsurface roughness. Use of larger particles results in more roughness inthe anodes, which leads to less expansion in lateral directions, andalso results in less dense layers, which also expand less.

FIG. 3 shows top and side views of a pouch cell, in accordance with anexample embodiment of the disclosure. Referring to FIG. 3 , there isshown pouch cell 301 with foil tabs 303 for providing contact to theanode and cathode within the cell 301. Rather than using a metalliccylinder and glass-to-metal electrical feed-through for insulation,conductive foil tabs welded to the electrodes and sealed to the pouchcarry the positive and negative terminals to the outside. The pouch celloffers a simple, flexible and lightweight solution to battery design,and allows some expansion in the z-direction due to the ability toexpand slightly, but is less forgiving with x-y expansion. For at leastthis reason, it is desirable to limit expansion overall, but for anyexpansion that does occur, it is desirable to configure expansion in thez-direction primarily and restrict it in the x-y directions.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a process for reduced expansion in a siliconanode, in accordance with an example embodiment of the disclosure. Whileone process to fabricate composite electrodes comprises ahigh-temperature pyrolysis of an active material on a substrate coupledwith a lamination process, this process comprises physically mixing theactive material, conductive additive, and binder together, and coatingit directly on a current collector. This example process comprises adirect coating process in which an anode slurry is directly coated on acopper foil using a binder such as CMC, SBR, Sodium Alginate, PAI, PIand mixtures and combinations thereof. The process described here is forreduced anode expansion overall, but expansion primarily in thez-direction while x-y expansion is decreased.

In step 401, the raw electrode active material may be mixed using abinder/resin (such as PI, PAI), solvent, and conductive carbon. Forexample, graphene/VGCF (1:1 by weight) may be dispersed in NMP undersonication for, e.g., 1 hour followed by the addition of Super P (1:1:1with VGCF and graphene) and additional sonication for, e.g., 45-75minutes. Silicon powder with a desired particle size, may then bedispersed in polyamic acid resin (15% solids in N-Methyl pyrrolidone(NMP)) at, e.g., 900-1100 rpm in a ball miller for a designated time,and then the conjugated carbon/NMP slurry may be added and dispersed at,e.g., 1800-2200 rpm for, e.g., another predefined time to achieve aslurry viscosity within 2000-4000 cP and a total solid content of about30% to 60%. The solids content of the anode slurry is largely dependenton particle size of active material and binder/resin molecular weightand viscosity. The particle size and mixing times may be varied toconfigure the active material density and/or roughness. For example,larger particle sizes, with a particle size distribution range from 5 μmto 25 μm, as compared to a silicon particle size distribution in a 1 μmto 10 μm range, result in less dense and rough active layers. Siliconwith higher particle size produces thicker coatings with lower density,which reduces expansion in all directions. Similarly, longer mixingtimes in a ball miller result in smaller particles sizes, and thussmoother, more dense active layers, but increased expansion.

In step 403, the slurry may be coated on the foil at a loading of, e.g.,3-4 mg/cm², which may undergo drying in step 405 resulting in less than15% residual solvent content. In step 407, an optional calenderingprocess may be utilized where a series of hard pressure rollers may beused to finish the film/substrate into a smoother and denser sheet ofmaterial. Calendering may cause increased z-direction expansion, whilex-y expansion is not affected, but even by incorporating a calendaringprocess, the expansion is generally not more than would be if there hadbeen no calendering.

In step 409, the active material may be pyrolyzed by heating to 500-800°C. such that carbon precursors are partially or completely convertedinto glassy carbon. The pyrolysis step may result in an anode activematerial having silicon content greater than or equal to 50% by weight,where the anode has been subjected to heating at or above 400 degreesCelsius. Pyrolysis may be done either in roll form or after punching instep 411. If done in roll form, the punching is done after the pyrolysisprocess. The punched electrode may then be sandwiched with a separatorand cathode with electrolyte to form a cell. In step 413, the cell maybe subjected to a formation process, comprising initial charge anddischarge steps to lithiate the anode, with some residual lithiumremaining. The expansion of the anode may be measured to confirm thereduced and anisotropic expansion, i.e., little x-y expansion andprimarily z-direction expansion.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an alternative process for reduced expansionin a silicon anode, in accordance with an example embodiment of thedisclosure. While the previous process to fabricate composite anodesemploys a direct coating process, this process physically mixes theactive material, conductive additive, and binder together coupled withpeeling and lamination processes.

This process is shown in the flow diagram of FIG. 5 , starting with step501 where the active material may be mixed with a binder/resin such aspolyimide (PI) or polyamide-imide (PAI), solvent, a silane/silosilazaneadditive, and optionally a conductive carbon. As with the processdescribed in FIG. 4 , graphene/VGCF (1:1 by weight) may be dispersed inNMP under sonication for, e.g., 1 hour followed by the addition of SuperP (1:1:1 with VGCF and graphene) and additional sonication for, e.g.,45-75 minutes. Silicon powder with a desired particle size, may then bedispersed in polyamic acid resin (15% solids in N-Methyl pyrrolidone(NMP)) at, e.g., 800-1200 rpm in a ball miller for a designated time,and then the conjugated carbon/NMP slurry may be added and dispersed at,e.g., 1800-2200 rpm for, e.g., another predefined time to achieve aslurry viscosity within 2000-4000 cP and a total solid content of about30% to 60%. The particle size and mixing times may be varied toconfigure the active material density and/or roughness. For example,larger particle sizes, with a particle size distribution range from 5 μmto 25 μm, as compared to a silicon particle size distribution in a 1 μmto 10 μm range, result in less dense and rough active layers. Siliconwith larger particle size distributions produces thicker coatings withlower density, which reduces expansion in all directions. Similarly,longer mixing times in a ball miller result in smaller particles sizes,and thus smoother, more dense active layers, and increased expansion.

In step 503, the slurry may be coated on a polymer substrate, such aspolyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), or Mylar. Theslurry may be coated on the PET/PP/Mylar film at a loading of 3-4 mg/cm²(with 13-20% solvent content), and then dried to remove a portion of thesolvent in step 505. An optional calendering process may be utilizedwhere a series of hard pressure rollers may be used to finish thefilm/substrate into a smoothed and denser sheet of material. Calenderingmay cause increased z-direction expansion, while not affecting thedegree of x-y expansion, but even by incorporating a calendaringprocess, the total thickness is not more than would be if there had beenno calendering.

In step 507, the green film may then be removed from the PET, where theactive material may be peeled off the polymer substrate, the peelingprocess being optional for a polypropylene (PP) substrate, since PP canleave −2% char residue upon pyrolysis. The peeling may be followed by acure and pyrolysis step 509 where the film may be cut into sheets, andvacuum dried using a two-stage process (100-140° C. for 15 h, 200-240°C. for 5 h). The dry film may be thermally treated at 1000-1300° C. toconvert the polymer matrix into carbon. The pyrolysis step may result inan anode active material having silicon content greater than or equal to50% by weight, where the anode has been subjected to heating at or above400 degrees Celsius.

In step 511, the pyrolyzed material may be flat press or roll presslaminated on the current collector, where a copper foil may be coatedwith polyamide-imide with a nominal loading of 0.3-0.7 mg/cm² (appliedas a 6 wt % varnish in NMP, dried 10-30 hours at 100-120° C. undervacuum). The silicon-carbon composite film may be laminated to thecoated copper using a heated hydraulic press (30-70 seconds, 250-350°C., and 3000-5000 psi), thereby forming the finished silicon-compositeelectrode. In another embodiment, the pyrolyzed material may beroll-press laminated to the current collector.

In step 513, the electrode may then be sandwiched with a separator andcathode with electrolyte to form a cell. The cell may be subjected to aformation process, comprising initial charge and discharge steps tolithiate the anode, with some residual lithium remaining. The expansionof the anode may be measured to confirm reduced expansion andanisotropic nature of the expansion. The larger silicon particle sizeresults in a rougher surface, higher porosity and less dense material,which reduces the expansion of the active material during lithiation.

FIG. 6 illustrates the change in particle size distribution with millingtime, in accordance with an example embodiment of the disclosure.Referring to FIG. 6 , there is shown silicon particle size distributionsfor slurries mixed for various milling durations. In a ball millingprocess, the active material is milled in solvent in 0.5 inchcylindrical Zirconia grinding media for durations ranging from 1 to 12hours, and then mixed with a binder/resin via high shear dispersion. Theparticle size distribution of the milled active materials in solvent ismeasured after the completion of ball milling. The values at eachparticle size indicate the percentage of material that comprisesparticles of that size. As can be seen by the curves in the plot, longermilling time shifts the curves left to smaller particle sizedistributions. The process is therefore a tradeoff of minimizing theparticle size reduction while still maintaining the quality of the mix.

FIG. 7 illustrates anode expansion for various active material millingtimes in fabricating the anode, in accordance with an example embodimentof the disclosure. Referring to FIG. 7 , there is shown the expansion ofvarious cells formed with different ball mixing times of the activematerial. The two materials shown are subjected to mixing times t₁-t₄where t₁ is the shortest and t₄ is the longest, ranging from 1 to 12hours. As can be seen by the increasing expansion, the anodes formedwith longer milling times have significantly higher expansion than thosewith shorter milling times, demonstrating that smaller particles resultin increased expansion of the cell.

FIG. 8 illustrates x- and y-direction expansion for cells with differentsilicon particle size distributions, in accordance with an exampleembodiment of the disclosure. Referring to FIG. 8 , there is shownexpansion levels in the x- and y-directions for anodes formed withdifferent silicon source materials and particle size distributions.Generally, the larger the particle size, the lower the expansion,although there is also a silicon source dependency, and may be affectedby the width of the particles size distribution and the percentage offines (particles <5 μm) in the mixture. These anodes are flat presslaminated on 6 μm copper foils, which is a thin foil that allows moreexpansion than thicker foils. Nevertheless, FIG. 8 shows that largersilicon particle size distributions do reduce anode expansion.

FIG. 9 illustrates z-direction expansion for cells with differentsilicon source material and particle size distributions, in accordancewith an example embodiment of the disclosure. Referring to FIG. 9 ,there is shown expansion data for different silicon sources, labeled asSi 1, Si 2, and Si 3, each processed to have a larger particle sizedistribution and a smaller particle size distribution, with data forredundant samples of the small particle size distributions.

As shown in the bar chart, each of the larger particle size distributionanodes has lower z-direction expansion as compared to the small particlesize distribution anodes. Typical large particle size distributions areD1˜5 μm, D50˜10 μm, and D100˜25 μm while small particles sizedistribution are D1˜1 μm, D50˜8 μm, and D100˜20 μm. Accordingly, byconfiguring the particle size distribution of the silicon insilicon-dominant anodes, the expansion of the anode during operation maybe reduced.

In an example embodiment of the disclosure, a method and system isdescribed for configuring anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominantanodes using particle size. The battery may comprise a cathode, anelectrolyte, and an anode, where the anode may comprise a currentcollector and an active material on the current collector. An expansionof the anode may be configured utilizing a predetermined particle sizedistribution of silicon particles in the active material. The expansionof the anode may be greater for smaller particle size distributions.Smaller particle size distributions may range from 1 to 10 μm.

The expansion of the anode may be smaller for a rougher surface activematerial. The rougher surface active materials may be configured byutilizing larger particle size distributions. The larger particle sizedistributions may range from 5 to 25 μm. The expansion of the anode maybe configured to be more anisotropic using more rigid materials for thecurrent collector, where a more rigid current collector may comprisenickel and a less rigid current collector may comprise copper. Theexpansion of the anode may be more anisotropic if the active material isroll press laminated to the current collector. The expansion of theanode may be less anisotropic if the active material is flat presslaminated to the current collector.

As utilized herein, “and/or” means any one or more of the items in thelist joined by “and/or”. As an example, “x and/or y” means any elementof the three-element set {(x), (y), (x, y)}. In other words, “x and/ory” means “one or both of x and y”. As another example, “x, y, and/or z”means any element of the seven-element set {(x), (y), (z), (x, y), (x,z), (y, z), (x, y, z)}. In other words, “x, y and/or z” means “one ormore of x, y and z”. As utilized herein, the term “exemplary” meansserving as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration. Asutilized herein, the terms “e.g.,” and “for example” set off lists ofone or more non-limiting examples, instances, or illustrations. Asutilized herein, a battery, circuitry or a device is “operable” toperform a function whenever the battery, circuitry or device comprisesthe necessary hardware and code (if any is necessary) or other elementsto perform the function, regardless of whether performance of thefunction is disabled or not enabled (e.g., by a user-configurablesetting, factory trim, configuration, etc.).

While the present invention has been described with reference to certainembodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. In addition, manymodifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material tothe teachings of the present invention without departing from its scope.Therefore, it is intended that the present invention not be limited tothe particular embodiment disclosed, but that the present invention willinclude all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A battery, the battery comprising: a cathode, anelectrolyte, and an anode, the anode comprising: a current collector;and an active material on the current collector, wherein an expansion ofthe anode during operation is adaptively configured.